


Painting, Plaiting and Other Unexpected Skills

by colivcr (orphan_account), IndieBean (BuckNat)



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Happy AU, Kind of AU, M/M, artist!Bucky, domestic stevebucky, hair doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 14:39:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6758143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/colivcr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuckNat/pseuds/IndieBean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is trying to paint, but his hair keeps getting in the way. Steve has secretly been learning how to do hair and decides it's the perfect time to try it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Painting, Plaiting and Other Unexpected Skills

Bucky hummed tunelessly along to the music playing in the background as he surveyed his latest painting. He absentmindedly reached up and tucked a strand of his shoulder length hair behind his ear, smearing paint across his cheek as he did so. Steve glanced up from where he lay on the sofa reading his book, smiling softly as he noted the multiple paint lines adorning Bucky’s face from his repeated attempts to prevent his hair from getting in the way. 

Laying his book face-down on the wooden coffee table, he stood up, reaching across the surface for the ever-present bobbles and hair grips they had strewn about their small apartment. Steve walked over to Bucky’s painting spot in front of their large, floor-length window that overlooked Brooklyn. 

“Bucky.” He mumbled as a warning before laying a gentle hand on Bucky’s shoulder. Both of them had reflexes they’d rather forget, but they were getting better at responding calmly to unexpected physical contact, and becoming more used to giving each other soft signals. 

“Yeah?” Bucky didn’t look up from his painting; this one of two men laughing while walking through the rain. He reached up and covered Steve’s hand with his own. 

“You’re getting paint all over yourself.” Steve whispered softly in his ear, trailing a finger over the spots of paint. “I figured I’d get your hair out of your face.” Bucky barely nodded an affirmation, engrossed in his project. Steve knew to expect little response from him when he was like this. It was one of the things he loved about Bucky; his passion for painting. Most people were surprised to learn that the broad, intimidating ex-assassin now made a living as an artist, but it made sense to Steve. Bucky had spent so much of his life experiencing the ugly side of the world, seeing the darkest things it had to offer, and now he got to enjoy the beauty surrounding him instead.  


Steve’s fingers moved deftly through Bucky’s long, smooth hair. Bucky usually asked Steve for a simple ponytail, or occasionally a bun, but Steve had pestered Wanda to teach him some more interesting, intricate styles, and he’d spent hours braiding and styling her velvety hair until finally he’d decided it was time to show his newfound skill to Bucky.  


He started by braiding two small plaits towards the top of Bucky’s head, and Bucky hummed in contentment at the feeling of having his hair tugged at and played with.  


“What’re you up to Steve?” Bucky queried, his attention now split between his art work and the hands lightly but purposefully interweaving sections of his hair. He half turned to look, but strong fingers abruptly pushed his head back into place.  


“Stop moving. I’m trying to focus here.” Steve impatiently muttered. Bucky chuckled softly and turned back to his painting, daubing muted blues and greys in the top right-hand corner. Steve was now onto a second set of braids lower down towards Bucky’s temple, speeding up as he gained confidence.  


“If you make me look like some kind of hipster, Steve, I swear-“ Bucky joked as he felt his hair being twisted into complicated braids.  


“Shhh, stop with the talking. I promise I know what I’m doing.” Steve swatted at the hand that crept up to touch the braids. “Besides, you’re one to talk, Mr Man-Bun.”  


“Hey!” Bucky exclaimed, “That was a one-time thing, and I told you, Nat was the one that suggested it.” Steve ignored his protestations, chuckling quietly to himself instead at the memory of Bucky’s shock when a guy, passing them on the street, had informed him he was “Rocking that man-bun”. Steve hadn’t exactly known what that was at the time either, but he and Nat had still cracked up laughing.  


He pulled the remaining hair at the top of Bucky’s head into a loose bun, before stepping back to survey his handiwork as Bucky often did with his artwork.  


“You’re done.” He said when he finally finished inspecting Bucky’s hair and patting at loose wisps.  


“Oh, thank God,” Bucky muttered, jumping up briskly and making his way over to the mirror that hung in the hallway.  


“You’re welcome.” Steve called, making his way back to the sofa and grabbing his book from its position on the table. He heard a mumbled “for what” from the hallway and then silence. Peeking over the top of his book at the empty doorway, he waited, suddenly nervous for Bucky’s reaction.  


“Well,” Bucky began as he walked back into the room, a faint smile on his face, “I might let you do my hair again sometime.”  


“I knew you’d like it.” Steve grinned bashfully.  


“Hey, I did not say that.” Bucky replied, but he too had a teasing smile spread across his face.  


“Shut up, Buck; you like it and you know it.” Bucky strolled over to the sofa, laying down so his head was on Steve’s lap, like a lazy cat curled up on the cushions.  


“Maybe,” he said, “or maybe I just like you playing with my hair.” He pushed himself up on his elbows, smirking as he got close to Steve’s face. Steve leant down slightly until their lips met, his hands setting the book down to gently cradle Bucky’s head. Their lips moved together, and Bucky’s tongue gently stroked Steve’s lip until he opened his mouth to allow it entry. He massaged Bucky’s tongue with his own, and just when the kiss deepened and Bucky let out a soft moan, he pulled back. Bucky followed for a moment till he was pushed up as far as his elbows would allow. Steve simply smirked down at him.  


“You’re getting paint everywhere.” He stated simply. Bucky glanced down to his paint smeared hands and their now rather colourful sofa before dissolving into quiet laughter and dropping back down onto Steve’s lap.

**Author's Note:**

> https://65.media.tumblr.com/559c68ef3127fb0a00d3de7d1bc2ed51/tumblr_nwep2iYauW1ucxdxho1_500.jpg thats the link to the hairstyle I based Bucky's on :)


End file.
